Major Mavs remain undefeated at Little League nationals

By JAMES TUBB on August 2, 2024.

The Medicine Hat U12 Major Mavs continue to rack up wins at the national level.

The Major Mavs are 3-0 at the Little League Canada championships following a 10-0 drubbing of Team Atlantic on Thursday. The Mavs, serving as Team Alberta, sit atop the standings, leading the seven-team tournament in wins.

Head coach Steve Russell says they were limited early by the Atlantic team’s slow-throwing starter, scoring just a run in the first three innings, before a pitching change opened the flood gates for a six-run frame in the fourth. They added three more runs in the fifth to round out the game.

Russell says once they settle into a game, the Mavs are able to do damage.

“How hard he was throwing, it was probably lighter than BP, so it did actually cause quite a bit of commotion for the first three innings,” Russell said. “But once guys finally settled in, we were able to get a few on in there and then they brought in a new pitcher who brought it a little more and we started to get on it and were capitalizing at the right time.”

Gavin Russell led the offence with two hits and two runs scored. Both Burke Morrison and Jake Czember tallied two RBIs on a hit and a run scored. Madden Ellis and Beckham Sprunger each had a hit with an RBI and a run scored to round out the offence.

On the mound, the Major Mavs had to use just one arm, with Czemer working five shut-out innings, allowing just three hits with three punch-outs.

“That’s probably the best I’ve seen Jake pitch,” Russell said. “Just in terms of his all-around arsenal, his ability to throw his fastball low and keep it down, his curveball, which is super effective, and his changeup. He had a great outing, probably one of the best in the season for him.”

Russell has been encouraged by how his team has found wins. They beat the presumed tournament favourite, Team B.C., with scores on a passed ball and a wild pitch for a 2-0 tourney-opening win Tuesday. They rebounded from falling behind to Team Quebec on Wednesday, scoring five runs after allowing one and adding another four for the 9-3 win.

Thursday’s victory, scoring nine runs in two innings, further accentuates the versatility Russell says has been the Major Mavs’ strength all season. He says they’re going to need it as the competition gets stingier as the tournament continues on.

“We’ve won all different types of ways, and at the end of the day, we just compete and allow our athleticism to do what it needs to do,” Russell said. “We go back to that versatility of this team and just-never-give-up attitude. So far, it’s been working.”

The Major Mavs have yet to face the 0-2 Prairies team from Regina, the host Kingston Colts (2-0) or Team Ontario (2-0), who they’ll face in order starting Saturday, with the round robin finishing Monday.

“We have a couple of tough teams ahead of us here with Regina and then the local team, and you can’t take them lightly,” Russell said. “They’re going to be a solid team, especially with the crowds they get and how they’re playing out there. They’re fully driven by emotion, you can just sense and feel it. It’s crazy.”

Before then, the Major Mavs have an off day today before the long haul begins of three straight games to wrap up the round robin and then potentially a playoff game Tuesday with the finals set for Wednesday, Aug. 8.

Russell says they’re going to take a tour of Kingston Penitentiary and just soak up the day off before the baseball ramps up even more.

“We’re going to go check out the penitentiary here, hopefully none of our kids end up in there,” Russell joked. “But at the end of the day, just chill and take it easy tomorrow. Get in the pool, hang out, go jump in Lake Ontario, just take it easy.

“Really just nothing about baseball for a day, which is a good thing for these kids.”

Share this story: